1. Technical Field
The present invention is related to an external storage device and a data storing method for the external storage device, and particularly to an external storage device and a data storing method for the external storage device where a hard disk drive (HDD) and a non-volatile memory are logically integrated as a storage media through driving of a low level of a system associated therewith to provide a mean for an external operating system to view the external storage device as a single storage media.
2. Related Art
Generally, a storage media for a huge capacity storage takes a form of a hard disk drive (HDD). However, such hard disk drive has its limitation in vibration and operational temperature. When a vibration is encountered in a data read/write course, a bad case is a sector violation and thus causing data lost; worse yet, a read/write head is impaired causing the entire hard disk drive unworkable. In addition, when the hard disk drive has its temperature beyond a normal work range, data therein may be lost and an element therein may become failed, leading to an abnormal operation.
In view of this, a nonvolatile memory has been proposed to soothe the limitations in vibration and operational temperature to the hard disk drive. However, such nonvolatile memory has its limitation in storage capacity, i.e. a fixed capacity is inherent with such memory. In a comparative sense, the nonvolatile memory has a cost much higher than the hard disk drive, and thus it is not suitable to be used for huge data amount storage.
Under a mobile environment, the nonvolatile memory does not have a priority in consideration with a huge data capacity storage, the hard disk drive is still necessary. However, how to overcome the situation during a movement course of the hard disk drive where unceasing vibrations and unstable temperature issues are always risen is quite needed.
In view of the above, it may be known the issues of the unceasing vibrations and unstable operational temperature associated with the hard disk drive under a mobile environment have been long presented, which requires some improvement with some technique to overcome.